Life As We Know It
by nothingscripted
Summary: When their mutual best friends die in a tragic accident, Haley James and Nathan Scott find their worlds turned upside down after discovering they were named as guardians for their friends' one year old little girl.
1. Minus the Love

**Life As We Know It  
Chapter 1 ~ Minus the Love**

_August 2007_**  
**

Haley glanced at the clock on her bedside table as she applied a final coat of gloss to her lips before recapping the tube and setting it back on her vanity. 6:23 pm. Her date was supposed to be picking her up at 6:30 and the closer it got to that time, the more nervous Haley was becoming.

She didn't even know the first thing about the man who was taking her out, besides his name- Nathan. Against her better judgment, Haley had allowed her friend Brooke to set her up with an old friend of her boyfriend's, who had apparently grown up in Tree Hill before moving away for awhile. He was back in town and looking for love, as Brooke had said. Haley wasn't so sure he was going to find love on his date with her, but she figured it couldn't hurt to do her very best friend a favor. How bad could it be?

The clock was now reading 6:27, so Haley took one last glance in the mirror, made sure her honey brown hair was still falling in perfect ringlets around her shoulders, smoothed out the invisible wrinkles in her plum colored dress, and made her way into her living room to wait on Nathan, who would be arriving at any minute.

Or so she thought. The minutes passed slowly as Haley anxiously focused on the digital display of her cable box. 6:30, 6:31, 6:33, 6:35, 6:40, 6:50, 7:00, 7:13. At 7:15, Haley allowed herself to be pissed at him for being late to pick her up for their first date, Brooke for setting her up with someone who couldn't even show up to pick her up on time, and herself for agreeing to go on the blind date in the first place.

He was going to stand her up, but maybe it was for the best anyway. Haley wasn't really looking for a relationship. She was focusing most of her time and energy on her business, a small cafe in downtown Tree Hill that she had been running for the last three years. Her success with the cafe was growing and she was looking to expand the tiny little coffee shop into a full restaurant, so she had very little free time to devote to dating.

Haley sighed as she leaned back into the chair and kicked off her heels. It looked like she would be settling for a night in with a bottle of wine and a movie on Netflix, which was perfectly fine with her. She shuffled into her kitchen and had just pulled out a bottle of wine and a glass when her doorbell rang. The digital numbers on her microwave told her the time was 7:26.

She thought about ignoring it and going to slip into her pajamas, but decided to give him the benefit of the doubt. Maybe he was late for a good reason and not just because he was a jerk who thought that a woman had nothing better to do with her time than wait for him. She took a look out her peephole and saw the tall, dark, and handsome man with the chiseled facial features and piercing blue eyes that Brooke had described.

"Hey, um, sorry I'm late," he mumbled when she opened the door, not looking apologetic in the least. "I um, got held up, in um, traffic."

Haley narrowed her eyes at him, knowing immediately that he was lying, a fact that infuriated her. She hated being lied to, especially when it was such an obvious, bad lie. "Oh, really? Well, you're just an hour late, no big deal," she said, waving a hand flippantly. "I guess we missed our dinner reservations, so we'll just have to reschedule some other time." Fat chance, she was telling herself. She would never let Brooke set her up with a "great guy" again.

"Reservations? I didn't make reservations anywhere." For the first time, Haley noticed that while she was dressed up in a beautiful plum cocktail dress complete with a ruffled neckline, her date had shown up in jeans that looked like they were past their prime, a beat up leather jacket over a plain white V-neck T-shirt, and motorcycle boots. Evidently he didn't believe in dressing to impress.

"I just figured we could go out for coffee or something," he was saying. "Maybe grab some fast food if you're hungry?"

"You've got to be kidding me," Haley said with a groan. She sighed as she looked back through her house to the wine and glass sitting out on her counter, then back to the man who actually was starting to look a little sheepish. She was hungry, having had a light lunch in preparation for what she thought was going to be a nice dinner date. "Okay, well, let me go change into something a little less dressy, and we can go to the Five Guys downtown, okay? Come on inside."

She left him standing in her living room as she went back to her bedroom and quickly dressed in a pair of jeans with a white tank top underneath a taupe colored cardigan. She slipped her feet into black flats and pulled her hair back in a low ponytail, feeling angry that she had spent so much time making sure the curls were just so. When she walked back into the living room, Nathan was standing uncomfortably in the same place she had left him, his hands buried deep into his jacket as he rocked back and forth on his feet. He was studying an assortment of framed pictures she had grouped together on the console table just inside the door.

"Let's go," she said, grabbing her purse from the coffee table and her keys from the hook by the door. "Where's your car?" she asked, looking up and down the curb in front of her house, not seeing any motor vehicles except for the old motorcycle parked by her mailbox.

Realization hit her as a lopsided grin formed on Nathan's face and he tossed her a helmet.

"Oh no," Haley began, looking up at him in horror. Did he really expect her to ride on the back of a motorcycle? Did the other girls he dated enjoy riding on that death trap? "We'll take my car," she added quickly nodding toward her driveway where her red VW Bug was parked.

Nathan took back the helmet and hung it on the handlebar of his motorcycle as he shrugged and followed Haley to the car. "Can I drive?"

Haley just ignored him and climbed into the driver's seat. It was a short drive to downtown Tree Hill, spent mostly in silence- until Nathan's cell phone rang, filling the car with lyrics that Haley did NOT want to hear. "You get it wet enough and I might lick it up. Licky, licky, licky, like a peppermint swirl. Lick that-" Haley shot him a disgusted look as he finally pulled his cell phone out of his pocket and flipped it open.

"Yeah?" he whispered. "Right now? I'm, uh, kinda busy right now. No, I'm not. Of course I do, baby. Oh my God. Okay, well what about around 10:30? Yeah, okay, that sounds good. Okay, see you later."

Haley stared at him, her mouth hanging open, as he continued his conversation. Was he seriously talking to another woman while on a "date" with her? Was he seriously making plans with another woman for later that same night? Nathan being a womanizer was not something that Brooke had mentioned about her boyfriend's old friend, but it was certainly something that Haley would have appreciated knowing before agreeing to go on the date with him. Suddenly she had lost her appetite.

Nathan cleared his throat as he flipped his phone shut and shoved it back into his pocket. "That was, uh, my, uh, grandmother..."

"Unbelievable," she hissed, tightening her grip on the steering wheel. "Listen, Nathan, I don't think this is going to work out. In fact, I know this is not going to work out. You are possibly the biggest asshole I've ever met, and that's saying a lot considering my track record with men." She pulled into the next parking lot and turned around, intent on heading back to her house and kicking Nathan to the curb. She did not want to spend another second in his presence. She pulled back into her driveway in record time, jumped out of the vehicle, stomped back into her house, and slammed the door shut without saying another word to Nathan. Locking the door behind her, she jerked her Blackberry out of her purse and hit the "B" to call Brooke.

Brooke answered on the third ring. "So how's it going, Hales?" she asked, excitement in her tone.

"Brooke Penelope Davis! Do you not know me at all? Or are you trying to find the hugest asshole in existence to set me up with? I tell you one thing, I will never go on another blind date again, and certainly not one set up by you! In your description of "tall, dark, and handsome", you failed to mention "prick" and "disgusting" and "manwhore"!" Haley ranted as she paced around her living room. She yanked her hair out of the ponytail, then raked a hand through her hair. "If I ever have to see him again, it will be too soon!"

. . .

Unfortunately for Haley, that disastrous first date was not the last she had seen of Nathan, who she later found out was not just a friend of Brooke's boyfriend, Lucas, but also his half brother. Nathan Scott had moved back to Tree Hill, taking a job with a local radio station as a sports commentator, and had moved himself into Haley's life, much to her chagrin. Being best friends with Brooke meant having to put up with Nathan, and her relationship with the girl she'd known since kindergarten meant more to her than her hatred of Nathan.

Nathan wasn't exactly singing Haley's praises, either. After their first date, he had complained to Lucas about setting him up with an "uptight prude" and "control freak", not to mention a "frigid bitch". Unfortunately for Nathan, he didn't know many other people in Tree Hill besides his half brother and his girlfriend, and it seemed like Haley came with them in a package deal. He simply ignored her as much as he could, but not without trying to piss her off every now and then. If Nathan were to describe their relationship, he would say it was one of love/hate.

Minus the love.


	2. Little Moments

**Life As We Know It**  
**Chapter 2 ~ Little Moments**

_October 2007_

Haley followed Brooke into her kitchen, a strained, fake smile on her face the whole time. As soon as the swinging door was shut behind her, the smile slipped off her lips and was replaced with a scowl. "Brooke! You promised me I'd never have to see that asshole again!" she hissed, placing her hands on her hips and taking a defensive stance.

Brooke pulled a cheeseball from the refrigerator and began arranging crackers on the plate. "Hales, he's Luke's best friend. He's Luke's half brother. This is an important day for Luke and me and who can blame him for wanting his brother to be here?"

The frown never left Haley's face, though she knew that Brooke was being rational. To hell with rationality. All Haley cared about right now was that the man she disliked more than anyone in the world was standing in the living room just outside of the kitchen. "I understand that, but-"

"Just try to deal with it for tonight. Please?" Brooke pleaded, placing a platter with spinach dip and bread into Haley's hands. "You don't have to go anywhere near him, okay?"

Haley pouted for a moment, but finally nodded her head. "Fine, but only because I love you, okay?"

"Atta girl," Brooke said proudly, giving Haley a pat on the head before turning on her heel and heading back into the living room.

Haley held back for a moment and took a few deep breaths, trying to regain her composure. There were quite a few people gathered in her friend's living room waiting to hear her and Lucas' big engagement announcement. If Haley could at least resist killing Nathan for this one night, she wouldn't have to deal with him again... at least, she hoped so. It seemed that he had a way of popping right back into her life when she thought she was finally rid of him.

Finally, she let out a breath and blew her long bangs from her eyes before holding her head high and walking back into the living room. She placed the spinach dip she was holding on the table Brooke had set up for the refreshments.

Brooke was standing in the center of the living room with a glass of champagne punch in one hand. She raised her glass in the air and announced, "I'd like every one's attention, please!"

The voices and noise in the room slowly died down, and pretty soon every one's attentions were on the hostess of the evening. Brooke was beaming; she looked absolutely radiant in her form fitting, teal dress. The bodice hugged her like a glove before extending into a short bubble skirt that fell mid-thigh, and she completed the look with a pair of black peep toe pumps.

"Lucas and I have an announcement to make," Brooke continued, looking up at Lucas and giving him a wide smile. "Some of you may have already figured it out by now, but Luke and I are engaged!" She lifted her left hand, which was newly sporting a gorgeous, square step cut diamond set in a platinum band. The diamond sparkled as the light caught it, and the room erupted in oohs and aahs as their guests began to rush toward them to extend their congratulations and get a better look at the ring.

Haley bit on her bottom lip, suddenly feeling very jealous. She was thrilled for Brooke; she and Lucas were definitely a match made in heaven. They were high school sweethearts, college sweethearts, the epitome of a perfect relationship, and they both deserved all the happiness in the world. There was a part of Haley, however, that wondered if she would ever get to experience their happiness.

Suddenly feeling like she needed to busy herself with something, she noticed that the punch bowl needed to be refilled. She thought Brooke had another punch bowl ready to be brought out, so she made her way into the kitchen. Sure enough, a full bowl was sitting in the refrigerator. Haley pulled it out and began to carefully carry it into the living room. She had just made it to the kitchen door when it came swinging open and made contact with the bowl she was carrying. Her eyes widened in surprise as everything seemed to go in slow motion; the punch spilling onto her white, sequined dress and dripping down her legs, the bowl crashing to the hardwood floor and shattering into hundreds of tiny little pieces, and Nathan Scott standing in the doorway with his mouth hanging open in shock.

. . .

_July 2008_

"When will you be here? What? You're serious? Whose idea was that? Oh my God. Okay, well try to hurry... be careful!" Brooke let out a heavy sigh as she hit the "end" button on her cell phone and tossed it onto a nearby table. She sank down into a chair and cradled her head in her hands. "Lucas is never late for anything, and of course he's going to be late on this day of all days!"

Haley crossed her arms over her chest and tapped her foot on the floor. "What do you expect? He's with Nathan. Nathan can't be on time to save his life," she replied, her voice dripping with disdain as she referred to Brooke's soon to be brother-in-law.

"Well, they would have been on time if Nathan hadn't thought it was a good idea to drive to Myrtle Beach last night."

"See? All our problems start and end with Nathan," Haley said seriously, clearly not joking.

"Yeah, well, he's definitely on my bad side today," Brooke replied.

Haley patted her friend's hand and smiled sympathetically at her. She knew that Brooke had dreamed of her wedding day since she was a little girl, and in her dreams it was the perfect day with the perfect man and, of course, the perfect dress. She had the perfect man and the perfect dress, which she had designed herself, but the fact that Nathan Scott was the Best Man was enough to make it a not so perfect day, at least in Haley's eyes. She didn't think Brooke was too upset about Lucas' decision to have his half brother be in the wedding party.

"So why did they end up in Myrtle Beach, anyway?"

Brooke shrugged and rolled her eyes. "Nathan's trying to help Luke sow some wild oats for the last time, I guess. Apparently there aren't any bars good enough for a bachelor party in Tree Hill, so Nathan suggested Myrtle Beach and Skills and Mouth and Julian ran with it. They didn't give Luke an option."

"I knew it wouldn't be a good idea to have the bachelor party the night before the wedding," Haley said pointedly. "Another one of Nathan's brilliant ideas."

Brooke gave Haley a small smile, then laughed as she raised an eyebrow. "You really have it out for Nathan, don't you? I think you're more mad at him about this than I am."

"He's just- I just- he's a douche and I can't stand him!" Haley finally said, her cheeks becoming tinged slightly with red.

To say that Haley James and Nathan Scott didn't get along would be an understatement. It would be more correct to say that they hated each other's guts. They had only known each other for about a year, since Nathan moved to Tree Hill after living in Atlanta for most of his life, and from their very first meeting- a blind date set up by Brooke and Lucas- they shared a mutual hatred for each other. Haley thought Nathan was the biggest manwhore ever to exist, and Nathan thought Haley was the most uptight prude he had ever come across. They only tolerated each other for the sake of their friends, who always seemed to think it was a good idea to bring them together for some event or another, today's event being Brooke and Lucas' long awaited wedding. In Haley's opinion, it was just something else for Nathan to be a jerk about.

"I think if you didn't hate him so much, you just might like him," Brooke said, winking.

Haley didn't have a chance to reply before the door to Brooke's dressing room burst open and Nathan ran inside. "We're here! We're here!" he was panting as he hopped along on one foot, trying to put his shoe on. The tails of his dress shirt were hanging untucked from his pants, the buttons on his shirt and vest were unbuttoned, and he was wearing white socks. Haley rolled her eyes.

"Well if it isn't Mr. Hangover. Should I call you Alan?" she commented dryly, pursing her lips, as Brooke jumped up to hug him.

"Thank God you guys are here!" Brooke exclaimed, pulling away from the hug. She reached up to straighten Nathan's tie. "Is Luke ready? I'm pretty sure all our guests are waiting in the sanctuary trying to decide if we're going to pull a Runaway Bride or something."

"Yeah, we're ready to go. Just letting you girls know we're here."

Brooke and Nathan talked for a couple more minutes before Nathan left the room, his buttons finally done up and shirt tucked in. "You do realize he's wearing white socks, don't you?" Haley asked her best friend, thinking that Brooke was way too calm about the situation on the biggest day of her life.

Brooke simply smiled as she gave herself one more look over in the mirror. "I'm just glad to finally be here. Nothing will ruin this day."

. . .

_April 2009_

Haley grimaced as she watched her best friend writhing in pain on the couch. Brooke's breathing was labored, sweat was pouring down her face, and it was clear that she was experiencing excruciating pain. Haley crouched down next to her and took her hand, which she immediately regretted as Brooke's hand formed a death grip on her fingers.

"Shouldn't we be getting to the hospital, Brooke? It seems like you're having pretty intense contractions. Why don't we call an ambulance to get you there?" Haley suggested worriedly. She silently cursed her car for being in the shop when she needed it the most.

"I want to wait for Luke," Brooke said when the contraction passed. She wiped a bead of sweat from her forehead and pushed her dark brown hair behind her ear. "And I definitely don't want to take an ambulance."

"Brooke, honey, I'm afraid that if we don't get to the hospital soon Nathan and I are going to be delivering this baby ourselves!"

Nathan, who was standing off towards the back of the living room drinking a beer, choked as he swallowed. His eyebrows shot up in alarm. "Not only no, but hell no! Like hell I'll be delivering a baby," he stuttered, raising his hands and backing away.

Haley rolled her eyes as his immaturity. "Well, Nathan, if it wasn't for you and your stupid motorcycle we wouldn't be in this mess. Why the hell did you bring a motorcycle to take a pregnant woman to the hospital? Are you insane or just stupid?"

"Excuse me, but I've never done this before. How was I supposed to know that a pregnant woman wouldn't want to ride a motorcycle? I just offered to provide a means to the end," Nathan retorted angrily, shooting her a look that could have killed.

"If you just had a little bit of common sense, you would have realized-"

"SHUT UP!" Brooke screamed suddenly, cutting off their argument. "Hello? Pregnant woman in labor? I really don't need to deal with your all's shit on top of this child trying to squeeze itself through my cervix and out of my vagina and onto my white carpet!"

"Sorry, Brooke," Haley whispered sheepishly, focusing her attention back on her friend. "How far apart are they now?"

"Two or three minutes, I think," Brooke said, squeezing Haley's hand as another contraction racked her body. "Oh my God, I don't think I can do this."

"You can, Brooke, you can!" Haley said encouragingly, brushing a lock of hair out of Brooke's eyes. "Nathan, call an ambulance! This baby is on its way, and we don't have time to wait for Luke."

For what Haley figured was the first time in his life, Nathan listened to her and reached for the cordless phone on the wall. He quickly dialed some numbers, talked briefly with whoever was on the other line, then hung up. "They're on their way."

"Thank God," Haley said, breathing a sigh of relief as Brooke once again wailed in pain.

Five minutes later, the ambulance arrived and five minutes after that, they were at Tree Hill Regional Hospital. Lucas came running into Brooke's room.

Nathan breathed a sigh of relief. "That was a close call."

Haley shot daggers at him with her eyes. "Yeah, and like I said before, if it wasn't for you and your stupidity and immaturity and lack of common sense, we would have been at the hospital a long time ago. Remind me never to call you if I'm in a pinch," she snapped.

Ten minutes later, Zoe Sophia Scott was born.

. . .

**Author's note:** To Kat, alana787, KTxx, dianehermans, 23bNrAuLcEaYs, and Reese ~ Thank you all for your reviews of the first chapter! I appreciate your kind words! I'm excited that there seems to be interest in this story.

Also, thank you to all those who added this story to your alerts; I certainly hope this second chapter holds up to your expectations.

The plot will begin to pick up with the next chapter. The first two are just to set up Haley and Nathan's relationship.


	3. Wishful Thinking

**Life As We Know It  
Chapter 3 ~ Wishful Thinking**

_April 2010_

Haley was deep in concentration as she added the final touches to her latest cake. Brooke had asked her if she would make Zoe's first birthday cake way in advance- about a week after she was born, to be exact- and Haley wanted to make sure it was perfect for the little girl. Brooke had been planning the party for months now and practically her whole neighborhood was in attendance; adults were drinking beers or mixed beverages courtesy of Chase Adams and Alex Dupre, who co-owned Tric, the most popular bar in Tree Hill, while the kids were having a ball in the backyard which had been transformed into a mini-carnival with inflatable bounce houses and ball pits and slip and slides of all kinds.

"Wow, you've definitely outdone yourself this time," Brooke said, coming up behind Haley. She wrapped an arm around Haley's shoulders and squeezed her close in a hug. "Have I told you how lucky I am to have an extremely talented best friend like yourself? Will you make me an Abby Cadabby cake for my next birthday?"

Haley laughed at her friend as she returned her hug. "Absolutely! A girl just hasn't lived unless she's had an Abby Cadabby themed birthday cake," she joked, blowing a loose piece of hair out of her eyes.

Haley did have to admit that the cake had turned out well. It was a two layer cake, with the top layer being chocolate and the bottom vanilla, and covered in purple and pink fondant. She had placed triangular pieces of purple, yellow, white, and turquoise fondant over the pink bottom layer. Strips of pink extended from the top, ending in a perfect bow in the center directly above a turquoise "1". She had crafted butterflies and flowers from the leftover fondant and carefully placed them in various places around the cake. An Abby Cadabby topper completed the design.

"So, did everyone you invited end up showing up?" Haley asked as she finished up the cake and went to wash her hands in the sink.

A small smile formed on Brooke's face and then she burst out into laughter. Haley frowned as she realized that Brooke knew who she was asking about. "Okay, fine, I'll amend my question. Has Nathan shown up yet?"

"Hales, it's Zoe's first birthday party. His only niece. His goddaughter. Of course he's here," Brooke replied. "He has come to every big event involving Luke and me and/or Zoe in the last three years, so you should assume by now that he will continue showing up to events. Besides, isn't three years an awfully long time to hold a grudge over a failed blind date?"

"No," Haley said quickly, not wanting to get into this conversation. Brooke had tried several times over the years to get Haley to see Nathan in a different light, to give him a second chance, but first impressions were hard to shake. She didn't feel the need to give Nathan a second chance because nothing he had done or said over the years had ever made her think that he had changed in any way from their first meeting.

It was clear that Haley had closed the lines of communication, so Brooke just rolled her eyes. "Okay. Well, listen, I'm going to go start rounding the guests up. Could you bring the cake into the dining room?"

. . .

Nathan took a sip of his beer as he surveyed the scene in in front of him. Probably a dozen inflatable toys and games filled the half acre area and even more kids were swarming around. There were Happy Birthday signs, streamers, and balloons everywhere; it looked like a party store had thrown up in Lucas and Brooke's backyard. He had always known that Brooke would have a huge bash for her firstborn child, especially considering how long she had wanted children and the amount of time it had taken her and Lucas to conceive. They cherished their little girl and spoiled her every day of her life. Her first birthday was certainly no exception.

"You think she's gonna do this every year?" Nathan asked his half brother, who was standing beside of him drinking his own beer.

Lucas grinned. "Probably, man. You know Brooke; she doesn't do anything halfway, that's for damn sure," he said. "Zoe can't even enjoy all these games and rides and stuff, but Brooke insisted that having the pictures to show her when she's older will be wonderful for her."

"Ah, I see," Nathan replied, finishing off his beer and tossing the empty bottle into a nearby trash can. Brooke always enjoyed making a big deal out of things, but Nathan thought going to this extreme for a baby's first birthday was a little ridiculous. He wondered how much money they'd had to shell out; the rentals, the food, the alcohol for the adult guests, the decorations- it all had to add up to some astronomical amount that Nathan finally decided he definitely didn't want to know.

The glass door that lead into the house from the back deck slid open and Brooke appeared. Zoe was in her arms, wearing one of the fluffy, frilly dresses Brooke always dressed her in. As usual, a huge bow was on her head, and she had a "Birthday Princess" sash tied across her chest that was pink and glittery. "The birthday girl is getting ready to blow out the candles on her cake!" Brooke called across the yard, trying to get the guests' attention. "Come on inside to the dining room! Come on, Luke," she said, looking at her husband and extending her free hand to him.

"Duty calls," Lucas whispered to Nathan before draining his beer bottle, tossing it into the trash can, and making his way toward his wife and daughter.

Nathan looked on, suddenly feeling jealous.

Wait, whoa, where did that come from? Nathan's mind screamed at him and he shook his head, trying to rid his mind of that thought. He was definitely not jealous of Lucas being tied down with a wife, a daughter, and a mortgage. Nathan rather enjoyed his life as a bachelor and not having a ball and chain. He loved not having a woman to answer to. One night stands were his forte; he couldn't remember the last time he'd been involved in a serious relationship, and he liked it that way. Definitely.

"I think I need another beer," Nathan muttered to himself as he trailed behind Lucas and into the house.

. . .

"Happy birthday to you! Happy birthday to you! Happy birthday dear Zoe! Happy birthday to you!"

Haley planted a kiss on top of Zoe's head as she placed the small cake she had made especially for the birthday girl on the top of the highchair. A single candle was in the center. The bigger cake was sitting in the middle of the dining room table and Brooke was snapping picture after picture of it. Pictures were supposed to be Lucas' job, but he had apparently not held up to Brooke's expectations and she had taken the matter into her own hands. Haley smiled to herself as she wondered if the four gigabyte memory card would be enough to hold all the pictures Brooke insisted on taking.

"Go on, baby girl," Brooke cooed, suddenly appearing beside of Zoe. "Blow out your candle!"

Zoe cooed and gurgled and a small stream of slobber trailed down her chin. Brooke shrugged and blew out the candle herself before standing back to snap another picture of her daughter.

"Let me get a picture of Zoe with her godparents!" Brooke exclaimed, giving Haley a little push toward Zoe as she scanned the room for Nathan.

Nathan was standing toward the back of the room, a beer in his hand, and suddenly looked like he would like to sink into the floor. He knew as well as Haley did that arguing with Brooke would be a lost cause, so he simply shrugged and began to make his way through the crowd. He crouched on one side of Zoe with Haley on the other, and Brooke gleefully snapped a few pictures. When she was done, Nathan wandered back into the crowd and Haley resumed her standing position.

"This cake is delicious!" a woman's voice said from behind Haley. She turned to see who was speaking and saw a lanky woman with blonde, curly hair standing near her, a plate with cake on it in her hands. "You're the caterer, right?"

Haley smiled and nodded as she extended her. "Yes, I am, and thank you so much," she said graciously. "I'm Haley James. I own The James Cafe downtown."

"Do you?" the woman asked incredulously. "I get my coffee there all the time, but have never thought to try the food. I'm Peyton, by the way."

"It's nice to meet you, Peyton," Haley replied, still smiling. "You should stop by the cafe some time and I'd be glad to let you sample some of the food. I serve mostly baked goods, but I hope to branch out into a full service restaurant in the future."

"Well, you have yourself a customer," Peyton said, taking another bite of the cake. "I definitely know who to call if I ever need a caterer."

"I'll be looking forward to seeing you the next time you stop by the cafe," Haley replied graciously. She'd received numerous compliments from Brooke and Lucas's friends regarding the food she had catered and she was hoping it would help give her little cafe the boost it needed as she began trying to expand.

Just as Haley's mind wandered to her cafe and the future of it, she felt someone nudge her. Brooke was standing next to her, a huge smile stretching across her pretty features as she continued to take pictures. "This is an awesome first birthday party!" she exclaimed. "I think Zoe's enjoying it."

Haley followed Brooke's gaze to the guest of honor, who was digging into her small chocolate cake with her fingers, and laughed. She had chocolate smeared all over her face and smashed in between her fingers, and the tiny little dress that Brooke had painstakingly picked out after numerous trips to various baby boutiques was undoubtedly stained beyond saving. Despite Brooke's usual intolerance for messes especially when they involved an expensive dress her daughter was wearing, she looked absolutely thrilled.

Zoe was most definitely Brooke's pride and joy. Haley was so happy that her friend got to experience pregnancy and being a mother, especially after doctors told her she would have a difficult time conceiving if she was able to conceive at all. For a few months after Brooke had found out that she might never have a baby, she was devastated. Haley and Lucas could only try to console her, but Brooke had such an emptiness in her heart that they hadn't been able to do much. After months of heartache, Brooke and Lucas decided their best option would be to start trying with the help of fertility drugs, and after a month Brooke was ecstatic to find out she was pregnant.

Haley occasionally wondered if she would ever find the same happiness that Brooke had. She loved her life, which mostly consisted of her cafe, but sometimes she yearned for something more. It wasn't that she wanted to jump headfirst into a relationship with someone, get married and have a baby all within a couple of months, but a steady boyfriend with the prospect of a future together might be nice.

Haley sighed to herself as she pulled herself out of her thoughts to focus back on the party. For now, that was just wishful thinking.

. . .

Author's note: I am definitely overwhelmed and very, very grateful for all the reviews sent in for chapter 2! To KTxx, C, Reese, kaos2405, kat, BWyn, M.A., , dianehermans, iheartnaley23, alana787, courtneylovejason, AllwaSsAnDForEveRr23, angellmaya64, kayla17tj, LadyinPink06, aysha02, allthingslife4ever, Naley2333, HaleyGarcia- you all are truly awesome!

Also, I wanted to let everyone know that unfortunately, my "12 Days of Christmas" idea didn't exactly work out as I'd hoped. I went out of town for a week and didn't have Internet access like I expected to, so I wasn't able to post a new one shot every day. =( I will try to post a couple more Christmasy one shots, but at this point I can't make any promises because I have to go back to work Thursday.

Thank you all again!


	4. Provisions

**Life As We Know It**  
**Chapter 4 ~ Provisions**

_April 2010_

Haley unlocked the door to her small house and kicked off her shoes as soon as she was over the threshold. Her feet were throbbing from a very long day at the cafe; it had been incredibly busy, which was great for the profits but wore on Haley quickly. If business kept booming as it had been the last several weeks, she would have to hire some more help. The two waitresses who worked there were wonderful and worked hard, but they couldn't always keep up with the lunch and dinner rushes.

She tossed her keys onto the table next to the door, along with her purse, as she made her way through her house, flipping on lights the whole way. For the last hour she'd been daydreaming about taking a long, hot bubble bath in her oversized tub. A bath always soothed her sore muscles and was the perfect way to recuperate after such a tiring day.

She grabbed her robe from the hook on her bedroom door, then made her way into the bathroom connected to her bedroom. She gathered two towels and a wash cloth, turned the water on in the bathtub, and began to undress. She found a clip on her sink and used it to pin her long curls up out of her eyes, then climbed into the tub. As she slipped down into the hot water, she let out a soft sigh of contentment.

Haley could have easily stayed in the tub for hours, but within minutes her cell phone began ringing. She let out a groan as she searched the room with her eyes, wondering where she had placed the phone. The screen was glowing from beneath the clothes she had just stripped off and she grinned as she managed to lean over the tub and grab it. An unfamiliar number appeared on the screen and after briefly considering ignoring it, she finally hit the answer button.

"Hello? Yes, this is she."

Accident. Highway. Serious injuries. Hospital. Brooke and Lucas. That was all Haley heard; the rest was just a buzz in her ear. She knew the person she was speaking to was spouting off some instructions for her, but she didn't care. At the moment the word "accident" was spoken, Haley had jumped out of the tub and was quickly dressing in jeans and a t-shirt. She didn't even care if they were clean.

Haley was in her car within three minutes. She pressed her foot firmly against the gas pedal, depressing it all the way to floor in her determination to make the fifteen minute drive to the hospital shorter. Her mind was whirling a mile a minute and she could already fill the tears stinging her eyes. They hadn't provided many details about the accident or Brooke and Lucas' conditions on the phone, but Haley knew it couldn't be good.

After what seemed like an eternity, Haley's car skidded to a stop in front of Tree Hill Memorial Hospital. The person on the phone had told her to go through the emergency entrance, and when she walked in she saw a crowd of people; police officers, doctors, nurses.

"I'm Haley James," she said breathlessly to the first person she reached.

The tall, middle aged officer turned to look at her with pity in his eyes and at that moment, Haley's fears were confirmed: it wasn't good. "Ms. James, I'm Officer Ronald Sykes. I'm one of the officers who responded to the scene of the accident your friends were involved in," he explained. He went on, explaining that a tractor trailer had lost control on the slick roads - was it raining? Haley hadn't even noticed - and had overturned, landing on Brooke and Lucas' Honda Pilot. The vehicle was totaled, and both Brooke and Lucas had sustained serious injuries.

"How serious?" Haley interrupted, her eyes pleading with the police officer to tell her some good news.

The officer looked regretful and placed a hand on her shoulder. He met her eyes with regret. "I'm so sorry, Ms. James. Their injuries were fatal. They were both pronounced dead at the scene. All attempts were made to resuscitate them, but their injuries were just too extensive..."

Haley took in a deep breath as she listened to the officer explain her friends' injuries. The tears began streaming down her face the moment he had spoken the word "fatal." Fatal. How could it be? Days earlier they had all been celebrating little Zoe's first birthday- oh God, Zoe! Haley frantically grabbed a hold of the police officer's arm.

"Their baby! What about Zoe? Oh my God! Is she okay?" she demanded, not letting go of him.

"The baby is fine," he quickly assured her. "She's being checked over thoroughly by a doctor, but she seems to have been completely and miraculously unharmed in the accident. It seems that most of the damage was done to the front of the vehicle."

Haley let out a breath she didn't even know she'd been holding as she heard the first bit of good news all evening.

. . .

The call came in the middle of a date. Nathan had spent the evening wining and dining his latest conquest, a bleach blonde bimbo with a nice rack who probably wasn't relationship material at all, but she was a tiger in the sack and that was all Nathan was interested in. He wasn't relationship material, either. He rarely saw the same woman twice; he most definitely preferred a one night stand over anything substantial. It was all a guy could ask for.

He had never received a phone call requesting his presence at a hospital, but he knew something had to be very, very wrong. He left the blonde in his bed, telling her to be out of his apartment in five minutes, not really caring if it hurt her feelings or pissed her off. Lucas was his brother- half brother, but brother nonetheless, and something had happened to him- something very bad. Nathan had to get to him and Brooke.

The short drive to Tree Hill Memorial Hospital seemed to last an eternity, but Nathan finally maneuvered his Charger into the parking lot and found a spot near the emergency entrance. He ran inside, ignoring the rain pelting down on him. As soon as he set foot inside the door, his eyes fell upon her. She was standing there talking to a cop and a doctor, her honey blonde hair falling in wet strings down her back, her make up smeared, wearing a look between disbelief and devastation on her face. Haley James.

To put it lightly, he and Haley didn't exactly have the best of relationships. They didn't get along, to be honest- at all. After a failed first date years ago, both Nathan and Haley would have been glad to never see each other again. They put up with each other for the sake of their best friends, Lucas and Brooke.

It was Lucas and Brooke who was always bringing them together- for big events, movie nights or parties at their home, and now... in this terrible time of tragedy.

Nathan collected himself as he approached Haley and the cop. The pudgy officer noticed Nathan before Haley did. "Mr. Scott?" he asked.

Nathan nodded as he reached his hand to meet with the cop's extended hand. "Yes, I'm Nathan," he replied, casting a sidelong glance at Haley, who was crying and not trying to hide it.

"I'm so sorry for your loss..."

Nathan knew before the cop told him, but actually hearing the words caused his heart to sink.

"They're dead, Nathan," Haley choked out, sobbing. "Oh, God, they're dead!"

Time seemed to stand still as Nathan stood in the hospital emergency room with a cop who probably really couldn't have cared less about his loss and a woman he couldn't stand and who couldn't stand him. The cop explained that Zoe was fine- a little shaken up, but she probably didn't even know what had happened. She would be staying with a foster family for the night and then CPS would go from there.

Zoe being okay was the only consolation for Nathan and he allowed himself to let out a sigh of relief as he learned that she hadn't been hurt. Zoe had meant everything to Luke. Nathan knew the struggle Lucas and Brooke had gone through to conceive her, and she had been their entire world. Now she was the only thing left of them. The tears sprung to his eyes as the reality of the situation came crushing down on him; his best friend, his brother, was gone.

. . .

A lanky man wearing an obviously expensive three piece suit and carrying an equally expensive leather briefcase suddenly appeared at their sides. "Haley James? Nathan Scott?"

Haley looked up at him in surprise, jumping a little when he spoke. She exchanged a glance with Nathan, who looked just as surprised. "Yes?"

"My name is Richard Blankenship; I'm Mr. and Mrs. Lucas Scott's attorney," he said by way of introduction. He reached out to shake Nathan and Haley's hands. "I need to discuss a very important matter with you-"

Nathan cut him off. "Look, can't this wait? We just lost our best friends and the last thing we want to be doing is talking to some lawyer about God knows what," he snapped, raking a hand through his short brown hair. He clenched his jaw and rolled his eyes.

"No, sir, I'm afraid it can't wait," the lawyer replied. "I've been called in to discuss with you and Ms. James my clients' last will and testament."

Haley shot Nathan a look. "Of course, Mr. Blankenship. Please excuse Nathan's rudeness. What did you need to discuss with us?"

"Shall we go somewhere a bit more private?" the lawyer suggested as he adjusted his grip on his briefcase.

They settled into a small room and took seats at a desk, Haley and Nathan on one side and Mr. Blankenship on the other. He waited for them to get comfortable in their seats before speaking. "First of all, I wish to express my condolences for your losses. I know you were very close to Mr. and Mrs. Scott and they expressed how much you meant to them in their will and how they wish for you both to stay involved in their daughter's life," he began, eying them over the tops of his glasses.

Nathan rolled his eyes. "Can you just cut the bullshit and get to the point of this whole little charade?"

"I think what he means to say is that of course we want to stay involved in Zoe's life," Haley said, giving Nathan a look of disgust as she spoke. "If that's okay."

"Yes, of course it's okay. It's more than okay," Mr. Blankenship stressed. "It's in the will."

Nathan and Haley exchanged a glance before looking back at the lawyer, curiosity in their eyes. A brief look of incredulity passed across his face before he regained his composure. "You're both unaware of the provisions?"

He pulled a stack of papers out of his briefcase and placed them on top of the desk. He cleared his throat before beginning to read from the papers. "'In the event of our concurrent deaths or our deaths following subsequent to the other, it is our express and mutual wish that the custody of our daughter, Zoe Sophia Scott, will be awarded to said godparents, Nathan Royal Scott and Haley Joy James.'"

Haley simply stared at him, not sure she had heard him correctly. Nathan furrowed his brows, obviously equally confused. "Excuse me?" they asked in unison. "Did you say they willed their daughter to us?"

"Both of us?" Haley added, gesturing wildly between herself and Nathan.

Nathan guffawed as he leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms over his chest. A smirk stretched across his lips. "You must be off your rocker, Dick," he stated. "Zoe is not a possession. She's a human being. How can a human being be willed to someone?"

"Why would Brooke and Lucas choose us to be her guardians?" Haley breathed calmly.

"Mr. Scott, I can assure you that I am simply relaying to you my clients' instructions. Ms. James, I do not know the reasoning behind their decision."

"I don't understand," Haley said, looking at the lawyer with wide eyes. "Nathan and I- we don't exactly see eye to eye on some things. Most things. Anything, really. We're not a couple. How could this be best for Zoe?"

"This stipulation in their will is certainly unusual," he admitted, placing the papers back in his briefcase. "It may help you both to know that it is not binding either way; it is your privilege to accept or decline. It is simply an expression of their mutual wishes." He paused before continuing, "If you wish to move forward, the next step is to petition the court to appoint you as legal guardians. If it's not contested, the judge will most likely be inclined to honor the wishes of the deceased. I will give you time to think about it and discuss it, and I will be in touch with you again in the next few days." He shook their hands, once again expressed his sorrow for their loss, and was gone, leaving Nathan and Haley to stare at each other in wonderment.

. . .

**Author's note: **Sorry for the short delay between chapters. I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas; I know I certainly did! I always love spending time with family, but unfortunately that doesn't always happen except for around the holidays.

I hope you enjoyed this chapter; now the plot is finally getting started! To give credit where credit is due, much of the last portion of this chapter involving the lawyer was taken from the 2004 movie "Raising Waylon" which is very similar in premise to "Life As We Know It."

Also, I didn't know Haley's middle name, so I just decided to use Joy. Has her middle name ever been revealed on the show? I will go back and change it if it has.

Thank you to those of you who reviewed the last chapter: Naley2333, KTxx, Smile Please10, C, Kat, swindellbc, courtneylovejason, Reese, mmjasamjaudia4eva, AshleyM15, and AllwaSsAnDForEveRr23. You are all wonderful!


End file.
